Speedometer - Soul Groovin' Live! (2009) [Japan CD]

Speedometer are one of the UK's more established new deep funk bands, having been on the scene for some ten years now. As with other British bands from the scene, in the UK they have largely a cult following, with their reputation built more around live shows that CD sales.

The P-Vine label in Japan, however, has long been a champion of such bands, putting out CDs by a number of modern deep funk artists. And, having released Hot Cakes by The Baker Brothers and Live In San Francisco by The New Mastersounds, the label has now released a live recording from Speedometer.

Soul Groovin' Live! was recorded at the Soul Cellar in the UK on May 2008 and features a dozen very tight funky cuts. The first part of the set is instrumental, with the Hammond rich Speedopener kicking off proceedings. The horn section then come to the stage for the uptempo At The Speakeasy.

Vocalist Ria Currie livens things up further in the middle of the set with What Am I Gonna Do, Answer to Mother Popcorn and Make It Alright, a personal favourite.

The band is on fire throughout the with very tight drums, a great sounding choppy guitar from Leigh Gracie and a punchy horn section. The highlight of the set for me comes with the second group of instrumentals. Kool & The Gang/Let The Music Take Your Mind and Four Flights Up are both mind-blowing.

Ria Currie joins the stage again for a cover of the Chi-Lites' Are You My Woman (Tell Me So) and No Man Worries, before the band bow out with Work It Out.
A very strong live set indeed that is as good as any of the studio recordings they have put out, and hopefully the release of this album will mean that P-Vine or some promoter will be looking at bringing them over for some gigs here in Japan.